ETO Home
Telework
Teletrade
Telecooperation
Links
Definitions
FAQs
Events
Search
Feedback
Discussion
Site management
Page updated:
4 February 1997
Page owner:
ETO Site Team
Can Telework Reduce Traffic Congestion?
Most people involved in telework believe its obvious that if people work at home or close to home instead of commuting into cities, this will reduce traffic congestion and associated pollution. However, traffic planners have often been sceptical, suggesting that people based at home will do more local mileage and so reduce the benefits, or that latent demand will appear to soak up the road space left by the missing telecommuters. This item from the UK Teleworker Magazine suggests a more positive stance from one noted transport institution.
In a country with only 4 million inhabitants and twice the land area of the UK, you might be surprised that traffic congestion could be a problem for Norway. But with most of the population concentrated around coastal areas and in the South East around Oslo, then the prospect of Gridlock is no different from any other Western economy. However, displaying typical Scandinavian foresight and innovation, the Norwegian Institute for Transport Economics has now assessed the impact of teleworking on two of its major cities - Oslo and Bergen.
Two scenarios have been developed projecting forward for the year 2010. In the first - Telework as a Supplement - the assumption is that little is done to stimulate or regulate the development of telework. This leads to around 10% of the working population working at home for more than one day a week. In the second case - Telework as a Substitute - more explicit policies are assumed to be used in order to stimulate teleworking, both at company and national or regional level - resulting in a 20% take up of teleworking by the workforce.
The analysis shows that teleworking has potential for the reduction of travel and travel based pollution in both of the regions. The report concludes that although not numerically large (3-6% reduction in car travel - both areas have good public transport systems) this reduction will have considerable effect on traffic congestion and pollution through a significant reduction in peak hour traffic.
Reference: Telework And Potential
Reduction In Work Travel
Institute for Transport Economics Tel: + 47 22 5738 00
Source: TCA - The Telework Telecottage and Telecentre Assciation.
Email: tca@venus.co.uk
Web: http://www.tca.org.uk/